Blank feeding mechanism



NUV- 26, 1940- E. c. cARRls ErAL 2,222,895

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 14, 1937 4` She etSSheet l Nov. 26, 1940. E. c. cARRls Erm.

BLANK FEEDING llECl-IANISM` Filed June 14. 19:57 '4 sheets-sheet 2 .22am/'df g4 M, 352mm Nwzs, 1940. E, c, CARRIS HAL 2,222,895

BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 14, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 CURRENT 8o 85 SUPPLY e? Nov. 26, 1940. E. c. cARRls ErAL BLANK FEEDING MECHANISMl Filed June 14, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 L w u n n um l P m g 9 W m m m 4m um ik m mr. /C.\\\ H 5 wis?, m m m www ,74% O i P PatentedE Nov. 26, 1940 BLANK FEEDING MECHANISM Edward C. Carris and Jerry R. Carris, Washington, Iowa, assignors to Iowa Button Machinery Company, Washington, Iowa, a corporation of Application June 14, 1937, serial No. 148,126

8 Claims.

An object of our invention is to provide blank feeding mechanism particularly adapted for feeding button blanks to a button finishing machine.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which is mechanically improved as compared with the apparatus disclosed in the Clarence P. Carris Patent Number 2,063,485, issued December 8, 1936.

A further object is to-provide blank feeding mechanism including a moving plate or other surface on which the blanks are deposited from a hopper or conveyor, means being provided for separating the blanks on the plate and properly spacing them relative to each other for periodical feeding to the chucks of a button' finishing machine.

A further object is to provide a mechanism associated with the moving plate operable to reverse the blank face for face if the proper face is not uppermost on the plate.

Another object is to provide a blank feeding mechanism which is timed with relation to a button finishing machine having a plurality of traveling button blank chucks so'that a button blank is fed from the feeding mechanism to each chuck as it passes the feeding mechanism.

Still a further object is to provide blank feeding mechanism including a feed plate and an ejector for ejecting the blanks from the feed plate, elec- 0 trically operated means being provided and cooperating with the ejecting means to either permit the blank to be ejected with its uppermost face remaining uppermost, or to reverse the blank so that the other face is uppermost, if the blank, when on the feed plate, has the wrong face uppermost.

Still a further object is to provide an interchangeable mechanism to either mechanically gauge the thickness of the blank or an electric scanning mechanism to determine which face is uppermost due to its reflecting characteristics, either of these mechanisms being operable to control a solenoid which reverses the blank face for face if necessary.

Another object is to provide a rotating plate,

to the surface of which button blanks are fed from a hopper, guide means being provided for the blanks to position them at a predetermined position on the plate as it rotates.

Another object .is to provide mechanism for sweeping the blanks off the plate one at a time and at properly timed intervals, so that a blank is fed to a button finishing machine at the precise time one of a series of chucks on the machine passes the blank feeding mechanism.

Another object is to provide a chute for receiving the blanks as they are swept olf the revolving plate, mechanism being provided adjacent the intake end of the chute for either permitting the blank to freely fallinto the chute or engaging the (ci. isi- 17) j blanks and restricting its movement so that as it falls into the chute, it is turned face for face, automatic mechanism being provided for effecting eiihr of the operations just mentioned as 'des e With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of our blank feeding mechanism, whereby. the objects contemplated are attained, vas hereinafter' more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, f in which:

Figure 1l is a rear elevation of a blank feeding mechanism embodying our invention.

` Figure 2 is a continuation of the right hand side of Figure 1 showing the hopper which contains the blanks to be fed to the feeding mechanism.

Figure 3 is a plan view of our blank feeding mechanism showing it in association with a buta rotating brush for eleminating excess blanks piled on top of other blanks.

Figure `8 is a sectional view on the line 8 8 of Figure 6 showing a trip'mechanism.

Figure 9 is a, diagrammatical view (semi-electrical) showing the operation of the gauge mechanism which forms a part of the feeding mechamsm.

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail view of the gauging mechanism in operation and cooperating with a button blank having its concave side uppermost. i f

Figure 10a is a similar view showing contact of the gauge rod with a. blank having its at face uppermost.

Figure l1 is a sectional view on the line ll-ll of Figure 6 showing a chute for receiving the button blank and showing the blank being reversed s before reception.

Figure 12 is a similar view showing the blank includes a sprocket, II driven by the shaft Il,'

and a plurality of button chucks I2 passing around the sprocket and around another one spaced therefrom (not shown).

The chucks I2 are designed for holding button blanks for 'any desired operation, such as drilling, ilsh eye cutting and the like. Such a machine usually has a supporting postindicated on the drawings at I3.

Our present mechanism, however, has to do only with a feeding means for feeding button blanks to the chucks I2. The feeding means is mounted on and operatively associated with the usual-type of button finishing machine, and wil now be described in detail.

A bracket I4 is secured to the post I3 and rigidly supports a vertical frame bar I5. The frame bar preferably extends to the floor (not shown) toprovide a solid anchorage therefor. A pair of spaced supporting brackets I5 are secured to the frame bar I5 and rotatably support a sleeve I'I having a stop collar Il. The stop collar lI3 Arests against the upper supporting bracket I5.

A drive'shaft I9 is joumalled in the sleeve I1 and is driven by a chain 20 from a sprocket 2I on the driven shaft I0 of the button finishing machine. Suitable idlers 22 areprovided so that the chain does not interfere with the supporting post I3, and on the drive shaft I9 a sprocket 23 is provided around which the chain 20 extends. The chain connection synchronizes the rotation of the shaft I9 with the rotation of the shaft III, and consequently with the movement of the button blank chucks I2.

A supporting yoke is provided for our blank feeding mechanism. This yoke has a pair of bearings 24, a web 25 and a hub 25. The yoke is clamped to the sleeve I1 above the collar I3 and supports most of the feeding mechanism.

Due to the mounting of' the yoke on the sleeve,

the feeding mechanism can be swung counterclockwise away from the feeding position shown in Figure 3 for adjustment or other purposes.

Normally the feeding mechanism is latched in proper feeding position with relation to the button blank chucks I2 by any suitable latch mechanism. By way of illustration, we show a -meshes with a drive pinion 3I (see Figures 1 and 3) which in turn ls driven by the shaft I9,

to which it is secured.

Button blanks are delivered to the upper surface of thefeed plate P through a feed chute 32.

This chute may be removably positioned on the.

-. feeding mechanism so it can be conveniently removed whenever it is desired to swing the feedange 33 extending into a socket 34 of the frame of the feeding mechanism. Button blanks B are delivered to the feed chute 32 from a hopper 3l.

The hopper 351s connected by a pair of frame bars 35 with a head member 31 secured to the upper end of the supporting bar I5. A conveyor belt 33 traverses a drive pulley 33 and an idler pulley 4l positioned respectively at the upper and lower ends of the bars 36 and 31.

'I'his belt may be of leather or other suitable flexible material, and is provided at spaced intervals with pins or projections 4I which. engage the blanks B with two point contact and carry them, one at a time, over the pulley 39 to be expelled into the feed chute 32.`

'Ihe'lower ends of the` conveyor and the hopper 35 4are supported by a frame-member 42 shown in Figure 2, and a supporting post 43. This post extends to the floor for rigid support.

{I'he drive pulley 39 is secured to a sleeve 44 (see Figure 3) to which is also secured a-disk 45. This disk is adapted to be driven by a shaft 46, a clutch connected between the two being provided in the form of an arm 41 secured to the shaft and having a spring pressed pin 43 adapted to normally engage a perforation in the disk 45 to be retracted therefrom when it is desirable to stop operation of the conveyor, even though the drive shaft I9 continues to rotate. The -drive shaft I9 drives the shaft 45 through a set of bevel gears indicated at 49.

The blanks B fall from the feed chute 32 into a cylindrical housing 50. Within this housing, as best shown in Figure 14, is an obtuse, coneshaped, rotating disk 5I. This disk is driven by a worm gear 52 and a worm 53 from a countershaft 54. The counter-shaft 54 is driven by spiral gears 55 from a vertical shaft 55.' 'I'he shaft 55 in turn is driven from the ring gear 30 by a pinion 51 meshingtherewith (see Fig- 'rectly behind this point a sweep blade 58 is provided, which blade is shown as a triangular strip of metal in Figure 14. This blade sweeps the blanks B o the disc 5I, through an opening 50' in the housing 50 (see Figure 5), and onto the plate P. The cone shape of the disc is a material-aid in this operation. 'I'he housing 50 serves as a guard to prevent the blanks from leaving the dial, except at the opening 50'.

'I'he disc 5I is geared to rotate faster than the plate P, so as to project the blanks onto the plate. A greater number -of blanks is fed through the chute 32 to the plate P than necessary for periodic feeding to the button ilnishing machine, as some 'of them might pile up on top of others and be improperly fed. Means is provided for discarding the piled up blanks which will soon be described.

Referring to Figure 3, several blanks indicated at B1 have been' projectedonto the .plate P. These are shifted by a spirally arranged guard 59 to a position adjacent the peripheryof the plate P by rotation of 'the plate in a clockwise direction. Blanks indicated at Bz havev been shifted to their proper position by the guard 59.

.The guard is pivoted at GIl'and maybe ad- -justed about the pivotal connection-by meansl of a pair of screws, one of which acts as a set screw to push the guard away from the housing 5l, and the Other of which, being threaded into the housing, serves the purpose of holding the set screw against the housing.

The purpose for adjusting this guard is so that its trailing end indicated at 59' can be positioned in properly spaced relation to the periphery of the plate P for different sizes of buttonl blanks.- It sometimes happens that even when the blanks e get to a position indicated at B3, one is piled on A tien adjacent the periphery of the parte P, they,

tcp of another.

A rotating brush 82 (see Figure 7) is provided for taking care of this contingency. It is mounted on a shaft 83 supported by a bracket 84 and driven by bevel gears 65 from the `countershaft B3 is reached, the brush 82, rotating in the proper direction, sweeps the second blank over the guard rail 61 and. into a spiral chute 68. These blanks may be collected in a suitable receptacle and returned to the hopper' 35 by the operator of the machine.

After the blanks B2 assume their proper posiare released periodically by a mechanism which will now be described.

The blank B4 in Figure 3 is being held by a retainer `element 89 which is part of an arm 10 pivoted on the pivot 69. This arm is normally held against astop pin 1I by a spring 12. The

counter shaft 54 carried an inclined cam 13, the inclination of which engages a pin 14 extending upwardly from the arm 19 (see Figure 7). The cam 13 swings the arm 18 sidewise against the tension of the spring 12,' thus removing the retainer element 89 from the path of movement of the blank 54. 'Ihe blanks are thus released periodically for properly spacing them to be received at the proper time in the ejecting mechanism, which will now be described.

In Figure 3 I have shown blanks B5 and Bs which have thus been spaced. The blank B6 is just entering a pocket formed in an ejector arm E. The ejector arm E has a. pair of shoulders 15 and 18 to form this pocket. When the blank Bs engages the shoulder 15, due tothe rotation of the feed plate P, it will remain in this position until the ejector sweeps it oil the plate. While in this position, a mechanical gauge means is operated to determine whether or not the proper side of the blank is uppermost. Y

This gauge is shown best in Figure 14, and includes a gauge pin or feeler rod 11, the position of which is shown in Figure 1' as being at the center of the blank Bh The gauge rod 11 is pointed at its lower end for engagement with the blank B5. Normally this rod is held in raised position by a lever 18 pivoted at 19 to a bracket 89. The bracket is removably positioned on the housing 58.

The lever 18 engages under a pin 8l extending from the rod 11, the rod causing the`pin to engage the arm by gravity. The arm 18 carries a roller 82 coacting with a, cam 83 on the counter-shaft 54. When the depression of the cam registers with theroller, the gauge rod 11 is permitted to lower for contact of its pointed end with the button blank. This permits the gauge rod to assume either the position of Figure ,10 or the position of Figure 10a, depending most when'the blank is in the chuck I2 o f the on whether the concave side or the flat side of the blank is uppermost.

In this connection it shouldbe mentioned that the mechanismjust described is used on blanks A having one face concaved, such as those formed .5

from shells, the concavity being due to the inner curvature of the shell from which theblank is made, or which may be produced mechanically if desired, this being the surface desired upper- -gauge or feeler rod 11 either comes close to a ycontact spring- 88 or engages it, but does not cause a contact 86 carried thereby to engage a stationary contact 81. When the concave side oi the blank is uppermost, however, as shown in Figure 10, the contacts 8 8 and 81 will be engaged `for energizing a relay R (see Figures 5 and 9)', the purpose o which will hereinafter be described.

The extension 84 may carry an adjusting screw 84' for adjustment to accommodate various thicknesses of button `blanksfand preferably engages the leaf spring 85 adjacent the anchorage point thereof to multiply the motion of its contact carrying end. f

For operating the ejector E We provide a cam 88 secured' to the vertical shaft 58. This cam engages an adjustable extension89 of the ejector' arm for swinging it from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4.

The ejector arm E is secured to avertical pivoted rod 90, the lower end of which has a pin 90' extending therefrom-as shown in Figure 6. -A spring 98" is connected with the pin 90 for normally swinging the ejector arm E in a counterclockwiseA direction as viewed in Figure 4, for retaining the extension 89 in engagement with the cam 88. In Figure 12 a position of the ejector E intermediate the two positions just mentioned is indicated. The shoulder 16 of the ejector is sweeping a blank B'I off the edge of the feed plate F into an ejector chute 9I. The blank slides down the chute as indicated at B'I andassumes al position B'I" on the web of a channel shaped transfer push bar 82, Y 1

The flanges of the bar 92 position the blank B7 centrally relative to an ejector plate 93 `and va swinging stop 94 prevents excessive movement chucker plate'forms no part of our present invention, but forms the subject matter of our copending application filed June 14, 1937, Serial Number 148,127, now Patent No. 2,187,266,'dated' Jan. 16, 1940, andincludes a. push bar 98'for pushing the blank B8 off the chucker'plate 95 and into the button blank chuck I2 as indicated at B9.

All the parts are synchronized, of course, so that as each chuck I2 passes the chucker plate 95, a button blank is pushed into it by the'push bar 98. '75

For reciprocating :the transfer push bar we provide mechanism which is best shown in Figl ure 8. The` push bar itself is s'lidable between the lower end of the ejector 'chute 0| andthe ejector plate 0. The bar 02 has an offset portion ersudable in a guide e1. 4The portion n' is pro- 1 vided with a pin- 00 with whichan arm Il c0- acts. The arm 00 is pivoted at |00 to a bracket 'a cam |04.

tical shaft l0. and the roller |03y is retained inr |0| and is provided with a slot |02 'receiving the pin.

The arm 00 carries a roller |03 coacting with The cam |04 is secured to/the verengagement with'the c'am IMby aspring Ill.

Means is provided .foradjusting the throw of the transfer push bar .02 `comprising a pivotal connection |00 for the supporting bracket |0I. and an adiusting screw |01 threaded through the web 2l of the supporting yoke for the feeding mechanism.A The spring |00 tends (by pulling in a right hand directionl to rotate -the arm v09 about the roller Illas a pivot and therefore tends to rotate the bracket |0| in aclockwisedirection and retain it against the set screw |01.

The transfer push bar actuating mechanism is so arranged that if anything occurs to'hinder the action of the transferpush bar, the spring |05.

will no t push it forwardly, but the shaft-50 and the cam |04 can continue to rotate. This prevents any breakage of the parts if broken pieces of the button blanks jam the guideways and thus prevent free sliding This core is adapted for being attracted by the Y solenoidcoil ofthe relay R whenever it is energized. The weight of the core normally retains the chute'guard |00 in the'position shown in Figure 1, which position is shown .by dotted lines in Figures 8 and 11.

AWhen the gaugeyrodf 11 assumes the position shownin Figure 10, due to the concaveside ofthe blank B" .being uppermost.- the contacts 00 and 01 are closed as illustrated in Figure 9; thus, energizing the relay andcausing thearm |00 to swing to the position shown in Figures 4 and 12 and by solid lines in Figure 8. Thereafter `the notch of the cam 02 passes the ,roller 02 of the arm 10, and the lobe of the cam raises the gauge I rod to the position of Figure 1i toseparate the contacts 00 and 01 from each other, thereby deenergizing the relay.

The arm |00, however, is nowretained in'its full line positionof Figure 8 by a 'pivoted latch III. This insures, during the ejlectingoperation of the ejector E, that the blank B" will tip of! the edge of the feed plate P and go down the ejector chute 9|', concave face upward, as illustrated in Figure 12. After the blank has entered the chute, the push rod 02 will be retracted, and during the retracting operation, a spring catch Ill, carried by the portion 02' of the push bar, will engage the latch III to tip it to the dotted position i1- lustrated in Figure 8.

By this time, the inclination of the portion of the latch Illl with which the spring catch ||4 aaaaeos .down the chute.

ennmnmch um the prins/men m win readily slip oif'the latch and allowittoreturn by gravity to its initial position for subsequent coaction with the projection fl Il of the arm |00. This projection is adjustable relative to the arm 5 for predeterminingthe position of the arm when held-in latched position' by the latch III. L

If the blankis ilat face uppermost, however, as shownin Figure 10a, the contacts 00 and 01 are not-'engaged so that the chute guard |00 is'not 10 moved outwardly in the mannerl-just described. 'Therefore theouter edgelof the blank B" (see Figure 11) will first move to a position supported on the upper end of the chuteg'uard |00,

.whereupon the ejector arm E engages a set screw 15 |00 of the arm |00 to s wing the arm outwardly' -v just before the outer .edge of the blank B" enit to turn over before striking the chute 0I.

In this manner, the blank which was concave' 'face downward slides down the ,chute 0| and 26 lands on the push bar l2 concave face uppermost;

During the return movement of the ejector l-arm E to its initial positiim,- the arm |00'will have been latched by the latch I Il in the manner already described so as tokeepthe chute guard 30 |00 from prematurely movil mk to its initial position and catching theblank B1" as it slides Thus we provide a mechanical means for gauging the blanks and for 'reversing them face for 35- face when one face is concave andthe other fiat,

and the wrong face is uppermost. v

Some blanks,` however, are fiat on both faces, but have different light reflecting characteristics. For instance, one'face lmay be polished and the 40 other one unpolished. A polishedsurifacev will reflect more light than an unpolished surface.

means for reversing such-blanks face for faceA when necessary, we substitute a scanning mech- 45 anism somewhat of the character of that shown in the Carris patent hereinbefore referred to, for the mechanical gauging mechanism shown in Figure 14, and referred to by the reference -numerals "to 0 1.

The Ascanning mechanism is shown in Figure 15 and includes a bracket 00( supported in place of the bracket 00, which, bracket has secured thereto a housing I Ii. .'I'he housing I0 is provided with a source of' light such as an electric 55 light -bulb ||1 and alight sensitive cell or vacuum tube I0. 1 Light from the light source ||1 passes through a condensing lens Il! to thelupper surface of the blank indicated at B?, and is renected through 00 a lens |20 to the light sensitive tube III. The usual .typ'eof ampliilerbulb |2| andthe power pack |22 asgenerally known in connection with radio circuits is used for amplifying the current controlled by the light sensitive tube I Il, and for 65 energizing the relay coilR for thus opening the chute guard |00, as in Figure 12, whenever the polished. side of the blank is uppermost. When the unpolished side is uppermost, the relaywill not be energized and the blank will be reversed facetofaceasinFigui-e 11.

It is thus possible to reverse the blanks face `for face whether the distinguishing characteristic between the faces is in their light reflecting `properties or in their relative contours.

To provide in a blank feedingv mechanism a I Various changes of course may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of our blank feeding mechanism without departing from the real spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a blank feeding mechanism, a movable horizontal feed plate, means for depositing blanks at random thereon, guard means for shifting theblanks horizontally into alignment thereon as said feed plate moves, a retainer element for temporarily holding the blanks and releasing them one by one in spaced relation on the feed plate, means for periodically sweeping each blank oif the feed plate for feeding it to a machine to perform operations on the blank, and means for gauging each blank and reversing it face for face if required in accordance with the operation of said gauging means.

2. In a blank feeding mechanism, a movable feed plate, means for depositing blanks at randoin thereon, a temporary retaining element for spacing the blanks at predetermined intervals from each other on the feed plate, an ejector for periodically sweeping each blank from the feed plate to a machine to perform operations on the blanks, a chucker plate for receiving each blank, means for gauging the blanks, and means for reversing them if required before positioning on the chucker plate in response to the gauging means, said last means including a relay operating device which permits normal sweeping of the blank from the feed plate when the relay is operable and engages the blank to reverse it if the relay remains inoperable.

3. In a blank feeding mechanism, a movable feed plate, means for depositing blanks thereon at random, a temporary retainer for spacing the blanks uniformly on the feed plate, an ejector for periodically sweeping the blanks oil the feed plate for feeding them to a machine to perform operations on the blank, a chucker plate for receiving each blank, and means for scanning the blanks and reversing them face for face if required in accordance with the scanning means before positioning on said chucker plate.

4. In a device of the class described, a rotary feed plate, means for depositing blanks thereon, an ejector for periodically sweeping each blank individually off the feed plate in one direction for feeding them to a machine for performing operations on the blanks, a chucker plate for receiving each blank, and gauge means to engage the blanks before they are swept off the feed plate, said last meanscomprising a gauge element, means for normally retaining said element spaced from the plate and for moving it toward the feed plate when a blank is in ,alinement therewith, contacts engaged by movement of said gauge element if such movement exceeds a predetermined amount, a relay rendered operable by engagement of said contacts, and means operated by the relayto modify the movement of the blank as it is swept from the feed plate to the chucker plate.

5. In a device of the class described, a movable feed plate, means for depositing blanks thereon, comprising a rotating obtuse cone-shaped disc, a

guard.

guard around the periphery of said disc, means for depositing blanks at random on said disc, and a sweep blade extending onto the disc for sweeping blanks edgewisetherefrom, said guard having an opening with a vertical dimension less than the diameter of said blanks adjacent said sweep blade to permit such sweeping of the blanks from the disc in horizontal position, means adjacent said plate for directing the blanks thereon to follow a predetermined path on the plate, means for periodically releasing the blanks successivelyv from said path, an ejector for periodically sweeping the released blanks off the plate, and a chute receiving the blanks therefrom and feeding them to a machine for performing operations thereon.

6. In blank feeding mechanism of the character disclosed, a feed plate, means for depositing blanks in position therein, temporary retaining meansactuable at equally spaced intervals for spacing said blanks on said feed plate, an ejector timed to operate at equal intervals synchronized with the spacing of said blanks for periodically sweeping each blank off the feed plate for feeding them to a machine to perform operations on the blanks, and means for scanning the blanks and reversing them face for face if required in accordance with the scanning means.

7. In. a blank feeding mechanism cooperable with a machine for processing said blanks, a feed plate, means for depositing blanks in position at predetermined equal intervals thereon, a chute forming a single continuous passage for feeding the blanks from the plate to said machine, means for periodically sweeping each said blank directly from its position` and into said chute, a chute guard positioned in said chute, gauge means effective at a predetermined position with respect to said feed plate cooperating with each blank prior to its being swept from said position and operable to shift said chute guard into position for engagement with one side of each said blank adjacent a point at an edge thereof and adapted thereby when said blank is in one face-up position to temporarily interrupt the progress of said edge and reverse the position of the blank upon its passage through the chute, said gauge means being inoperable to shift the guard when said blank is in another face-up position.

8. In a blank feeding mechanism, a blank support and means adjacent said support for depositing all blanks received in the machine in a path at equal predetermined intervals on said support, a single chute forming a single continuous passage leading from said path to an auxiliary machine for feeding each said blank successively to a single conveyor-for said machine to perform operations on the blanks, a single sweeping means for periodically sweeping each said blank successively from its position in the path into said chute, an inverting chute guard positioned to partially interrupt the passage formed by said chute, gauge means adjacent the chute for scanning each blank prior to its being swept from said position into said chute and connecting means between said gauge means and' said chute guard, said gauge being responsive to the light reflecting characteristic of the blanks to control the inverting operation of said chute EDWARD C. CARRIS. JERRY R. CARRIE. 

